Online Program

289295
Building research capacity in local AIDS service organization to enhance HIV prevention efforts for young men who have sex with men


Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 2:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Jimena Loveluck, MSW, President/CEO, HIV/AIDS Resource Center, Ypsilanti, MI
Andrew Hickok, MPH, Sexuality & Health Lab (SexLab), University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
William VanHemert, MSW, AIDS Partnership Michigan, Detroit, MI
Wil Bowen, Community Mobilization Project Associate, AIDS Partnership Michigan, Detroit, MI
Anthony O'Rourke-Quintana, Detroit Latin@z, AIDS Partnership Michigan, Detroit, MI
Emily Pingel, MPH, Center for Sexuality and Health Disparities (SexLab), University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
Jose A. Bauermeister, MPH, PhD, Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
Community-engaged research can have a tremendous impact on HIV/AIDS services, yet few small AIDS service organizations (ASOs) have the capacity to conduct such research. Several ASOs in the Detroit metro area (DMA) have partnered with the University of Michigan to become a successful model for community-based research and capacity building to inform and design local HIV prevention interventions for young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Our collaborative work examines how structural and cultural factors exacerbate the HIV vulnerability of Black and Latino YMSM living in the DMA. Our presentation will focus on lessons learned during the two-year strategic planning process. Specifically, we discuss how ASOs in the collaborative have fortified their ability to use research to build up HIV prevention interventions, to develop advocacy efforts to impact HIV-related structural factors, and to increase ASOs' capacities to be active research partners. We present critical moments in the partnership as case studies to document how research efforts have provided agencies with a greater understanding of their clientele and opportunities to integrate evidence-based, structurally focused strategies into HIV/AIDS prevention programs and services. The case studies also illustrate how ASOs' needs continue to advance community mobilization and prevention research, strengthening our joint effort to propose structural and community-level interventions. We conclude our presentation by discussing the need to ensure academic-community partnerships work jointly in developing interventions focused on structural and community conditions of YMSM.

Learning Areas:

Diversity and culture
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe how the academic-community partnership has worked to conduct research and disseminate findings regarding structural and community impacting YMSM vulnerability to HIV infection in the DMA. Describe how community agencies and research personnel have strengthened their approach to HIV prevention and care efforts using evidence to support structural and community-level interventions. Examine how the work of this collaboration can improve the outlook for future funding of structural-level intervention seeking to improve the health and wellbeing of YMSM.

Keyword(s): Community Collaboration, HIV/AIDS

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Executive Director of the HIV/AIDS Resource Center
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4318.0: HIV and sexual identity